The Ellipsis 8 HD for Verizon offers good cellular network performance, a nice display, and built-in tech support, making it a solid multimedia-focused tablet for the price.

Affordable tablets aren't hard to find these days. But if you're looking for a slate that offers cellular network connectivity in addition to Wi-Fi, the pool shrinks considerably. The $249.99 Ellipsis 8 HD for Verizon isn't quite as affordable as comparably equipped Wi-Fi-only tablets, but thanks to its crisp display, dual front-firing stereo speakers, and 4G LTE connectivity, it represents a solid value for multimedia consumption on the go.

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Design and Display

The Ellipsis 8 HD is your standard 8-inch slate. It's available with a gray or midnight blue polycarbonate back, both with chrome accents along the sides. Coming in at 8.3 by 5.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and 12 ounces, it's similar in size to other 8-inch tablets like the Asus ZenPad Z8(8.1 by 5.4 by 0.3 inches, 11 ounces) and Amazon Fire HD 8 (8.4 by 5.0 by 0.4 inches, 12 ounces). It's comfortable to hold for reading and watching videos.

The left side houses a flap that opens to give you access to the SIM and microSD card slots, the latter of which works with the largest card on the market to add 256GB of storage. The bottom is home to a 3.5mm audio jack to the right of the micro USB charging port. The power and volume buttons are squished together in the top right corner, which led to some misclicks in testing.

The face has a rather large bezel to accommodate the speakers both above and below the display. The volume is loud, which makes for a good experience watching videos, though at higher volumes it can sound a bit tinny.

The screen is a 1,920-by-1,200 TFT LCD, a pixel density of 282 pixels per inch (). Text, videos, and games look sharp, and there's no noticeable pixelation unless you're really looking for it. Viewing angles are solid, as is reproduction, though at maximum brightness the screen fades a bit outdoors. The Quad HD panel on the ZenPad Z8 is sharper at 324ppi, but it too tends to wash out in sunlight.

Performance

The Ellipsis operates on Verizon, with support for LTE bands 2/4/13. Network performance was excellent where I tested in midtown Manhattan—the slate recorded a top download speed of 33Mbps. Other connectivity protocols include dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.

Of course, you don't necessarily need to buy a cellular tablet. You can always connect it to a mobile hotspot or use your phone in hotspot mode. But adding a tablet to your Verizon plan only costs an extra $10 per month (not including data), and saves you from juggling an extra device or worrying about phone battery drain, so if you plan to use it away from Wi-Fi a lot, it's worth considering.

The tablet is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It's a capable midrange chipset, scoring 45,684 on the AnTuTu benchmark, which tests overall system performance. That's not as high as the Snapdragon 650-powered ZenPad Z8 (66,898), but it significantly outpaces the MediaTek 8163-powered Acer Iconia One 8 (34,184).

With 3GB of RAM, apps load relatively fast and I never hit the RAM usage limit. Graphically intense games like GTA: San Andreas are responsive, though I noticed some dropped frames.

Battery life is solid. While streaming video over LTE at maximum brightness, the Ellipsis clocked 5 hours and 10 minutes, which is better than the Z8 (4 hours, 30 minutes) and the Iconia One 8 (4 hours, 20 minutes).

Cameras on most tablets aren't usually good for much more than video chatting, but the 8-megapixel rear sensor on the Ellipsis takes surprisingly good shots. Outdoors, the tablet takes relatively clear, noise-free photos with good color reproduction. Video recording is also solid at 1080p resolution and a stable 30fps. The 5-megapixel front camera takes clear selfies and video. While it won't replace your phone's camera, the Ellipsis can certainly serve in a pinch.

Software

The slate runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, a fairly common build that isn't likely to see any updates. There's no real UI layer to speak of, leaving the tablet with a stock Android build aside from a few preinstalled widgets you can remove.

The main software addition here is Tech Coach, a feature that lets you text chat with or a 24/7 live support representative, similar to the support packaged offered by the Google Pixel XL. The feature can be accessed through a widget, the notification shade, or the Tech Coach app, connecting you to a representative who can troubleshoot any problems you have, view your screen (with the Rescue app), and remotely access your device (if you give them permission to do so). During testing I spoke to representatives through both text and and found them to be friendly and helpful in answering basic questions about enabling data, connecting to Wi-Fi networks, and increasing screen brightness. This feature makes the Ellipsis a great device to give to someone who isn't familiar with tech, though keep in mind it's only free for 24 months with a tablet data plan—after it costs $7 per month.

There are only four Verizon apps (including Tech Coach) preinstalled, so bloatware is minimal. That's necessary, though, because of a total of 16GB of internal storage, only a paltry 5.15GB is actually available. It's not much space, and I quickly ran out after installing our benchmark test apps in testing. Fortunately, you can use a microSD card with Marshmallow's Adoptable Storage feature, letting you format it as internal memory.

Conclusions

The Ellipsis 8 HD is a capable multimedia tablet that offers speedy Verizon connectivity for a relatively affordable price. crisp screen, solid camera, and 24/7 tech support make it a good buy, especially for beginners. That said, if the built-in tech support isn't important to you, the ZenPad Z8 for Verizon gets you a faster processor and a sharper display for the same price. And if you don't need cellular connectivity, the Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 is our Editors' Choice in this price range and you get a significantly more powerful processor, longer battery life, and cloud gaming features.

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About the Author

Ajay Kumar is PCMag's Analyst obsessed with all things mobile. Ajay reviews phones, tablets, accessories, and just about any other gadget that can be carried around with you. In his spare time he games on the rig he built himself, collects Nintendo amiibos, and tries his hand at publishing a novel. Follow Ajay on Twitter @Ajay_H_Kumar.

Verizon Ellipsis 8 HD

Verizon Ellipsis 8 HD

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